INDIAN MARINE SURVEYS. 



21 



great cliatiges in the main condition of the river were ascertained 

 to have taken place. It was completed in the early part of 

 March ; no fewer than 1 68 square miles being sounded over 

 on the 2-inch scale in the Rangoon river and its approaches, 

 from the China Bakir river and entrance to the Port of Rangoon. 

 The port itself was sounded on the 6-inch scale. It was ascer- 

 tained that the time of high water at full and change of the 

 moon at Rangoon had become about 45 minutes earlier than it 

 was in the year 1829, a change accounted for by the scour of 

 the river having increased in consequence of artificial embank- 

 ments, &c. 



Cheduba strait and Ramri roadstead were next taken in hand, 

 a detached boat party under Lieutenant Helby, R.N., being told off 

 to the former, while the "Investigator's" officers were engaged 

 on the triangulation of the whole, as well as on the detailed 

 survey of Ramri strait. The survey of the approaches to Sando- 

 way and Tongoup, coveiing 301 square miles, had been made 

 as mentioned above by Lieutenant Ohanner. 



Boat party No. 1, under the charge of Lieutenant 1\ C. Pascoo, 

 was employed during the latter part of 1883 on the survey of 

 Quilon, where the Travancore Government was anxious to construct 

 a deep-water harbour, there being no other harbour on the 

 Travancore seaboard, and the backwaters, which extend 100 miles 

 altogether to the north and south, offering great advantages for 

 boat traffic up to the foot of the hills. The party returned to 

 Bombay by Christmas day, and the remainder of the season 

 was taken up with the surveys of Mahuwa or Mowa and 

 Shial Bet. 



Xo. 2 Boat party, under Commander Falle, I.M., mapped out 

 Yizagapatam and Calingapatam, and under Lieutenant Morris Smyth, 

 R.N., who took charge on the 1st February, made a survey of 

 Negapatam and Nagore. 



Thus the full programme drawn up for the Season 1883-84 (with 

 the exception of the search for the Sacramento shoal, which owing 

 to the want of a vessel for the purpose had to be abandoned) was 

 carried out, with the additions of the entrance to the China Bakir 

 river, the approaches to Sandoway and Tongoup, and the port of 

 Negapatam. The total out-turn for the season amounted to 

 11 charts and plans, covering 746 square miles of soundings, with 

 15 deep-sea soundings. 



